4-2-1 The Absolute Realm of Physics – Copper Clad Laminates (CCL) and the Ultra-High Frequency Marvel of Dk/Df
AI servers' ultra-high freq. transmission makes CCL critical for computing power. Success depends on Dk (speed) and Df (signal integrity). To counter high-freq. signal loss and skin effect, materials must upgrade from epoxy to PPO resin and HVLP copper. This pushes AI substrates to the Df<0.002 M...
3-5-2 A Hybrid of Logic and Memory: Powerchip's Heterogeneous Integration Revolution
Powerchip expects 2026 capacity surge & financial rebound via mature process shortages. Core 'heterogeneous integration' (3D WoW/AIM) vertically merges logic/memory, solving edge AI bandwidth/power bottlenecks. Micron alliance & HBM pre-processing transform Powerchip to system-level packaging pla...
3-5-1 Avoiding the Giants' Battlefield — Winbond Electronics and Nanya Technology's Specialty DRAM Strategy
As three giants pivot to HBM & DDR5, Nanya Tech & Winbond Electronics defend niche DRAM. Nanya Tech, with its 1B process, targets 10nm-class & DDR4 gaps for ASP surges. Winbond uses 16nm for low-density specs, building IoT/edge computing long-tail monopolies. This is a survival battle, avoiding d...
4-1-5 Formosa Plastics Group's Transformation — Nanya PCB (8046)'s High-End Yield Battle
Nanya PCB (8046), leveraging Formosa Plastics Group's vertical integration, once led network communication substrates. Despite a painful "yield wall" in early AI GPU substrates, management quickly stemmed losses, heavily investing in a new Shulin plant for high-end HPC. Nanya PCB launched a diffe...
4-1-4 The Capacity King's Expansion —— Unimicron (3037)'s ABF Red Ocean Breakthrough and Counterattack
Unimicron, global AI capacity leader, saw AI HDI lines turn profitable early. It leveraged T-Glass shortages to regain pricing power, restarting "capacity reservation fees." Unimicron upholds capital discipline, de-bottlenecking for cash flow, and secretly develops ultimate large organic substrat...
4-1-3 The Counterattack of Glass —— Intel's TGV Revolution and Ultimate Flatness
AI chip heat warps ABF substrates; industry eyes glass (flatness, rigidity, thermal stability for trillion-transistor). LIDE/chemical etching solves TGV fragility. Intel seeks revenge; SK builds mass plant; Unimicron test-produces, sparking 2027 materials war.
4-1-2 The Jewel in the Crown — ABF Leaders Ibiden and Shinko's Historical Heritage
Ibiden & Shinko, tied to Intel, monopolized high-end ABF. Amid AI surge, both adopted strategies. Ibiden invests JPY 500B in AI ASIC/EMIB-T; clients prepay. Shinko, privatized/delisted by a Japan gov consortium, avoids reporting pressure, focusing on next-gen substrate capital drain, defending se...
4-1-6 The Vanguard of the Pegatron Group — Kinsus (3189)'s Differentiated Survival and Resurgence
Kinsus (3189) initially dominated BT substrates and had a contact lens cash cow. Now, flush with cash, it enters AI; ABF capacity hits 85% off-season. Amid material gaps, Kinsus began 3-5% quarterly price hikes, approved Fab 6 high-end expansion, targeting GPU/ASIC/high-end networking, using a du...
4-1-1 The Plastic Throne of Chips —— The Physical Miracle of ABF and Ajinomoto's Crossover Legend
ABF film, the core IC substrate insulator, is monopolized by Japan's Ajinomoto. Its thin, insulative, laser-drillable properties make it the industry standard. Substrate manufacturing involves lamination cycles (film, drilling, plating), like building a layered cake. However, chips like NVIDIA B2...